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Burt Reynolds' heart surgery successful, but not dramatic

March 3, 2010 | 8:06
pm

Burt Reynolds did indeed have a quintuple bypass last week. Burt Reynolds was not, however, rushed to the hospital for said quintuple bypass. Everyone take a deep breath, OK? If your hair's on fire, just put that out right now and we'll forget it happened.

Like Rue McClanahan before him, with her cardiac-illness-but-not-cardiac-arrest, Reynolds, 74, appears to have taken advantage of the age-old traditions of "making an appointment" and "planning" to get necessary but not emergency surgery.

"All reports that are implying he was rushed to a hospital are
completely untrue," said his manager, Erik Kritzer, "as he has had this operation scheduled for over a
month."

Reynolds -- who in September checked himself into rehab in West Palm Beach for an addiction to painkillers -- has been released from the Florida hospital where the bypass operation was performed.

He's now recovering at home with 24-hour nursing care and, according to his manager, thanks "everyone for their good wishes."

-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Burt Reynolds in "The Longest Yard." Why? Because he looks totally cool in that picture. Credit: Paramount Pictures